2014 Firriato Nero d'Avola Sicilia Harmonium, Italy, Sicily, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$45.00USD

Great showing for this wine.  it is made from the Nero d'Avola grape.  Garnet in color, darker at the core, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, sandalwood, nutmeg, and slight dark chocolate notes.  It is tight at first but opens after an hour or so.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is delivering right away.  Black cherries, sour cherries, and ash.  Complex and deep.  Delicious.  Long finish.  At age 9, this is in a great spot and should be at or close to peak.  It is great on its own, but should work well with meat or fowl.  A

2021 Di Giovanna Grillo Sicilia Vurria, Italy, Sicily,

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

A fifth generation family winery in Sicily that gets the whole family on board.  From Aurelio and Barbara Di Giovanna, Gunther Di Giovanna, Gunther Di Giovanna, and Klaus Di Giovanna, the co-owners to Melissa Di Giovanna, the Sales and Marketing Manager.  The winemaker is Gianfranco Zito.

Donnafugata 2017 Mille E Una Notte

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$82.00USD

An almost shy wine, this flagship red from Donnafugata does not announce itself with overt fruit. The wine needs some time to coax out the subtle flavors and the tight tannins at the outset tell you to wait a while before it opens up. When it does plum, muted strawberry, pomegranate, baked cherry and rose water dominate the opening. Comprised of Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot, and Syrah, the tannins and acidity support the judicious use of oak. Aged 14 months in small French oak barrels it then spent 20 months in bottle rest. The result is a lovely wine that will work with a variety of foods.

Firriato, 2014 ‘Harmonium’ Nero d’Avola

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

Outside of Italy, Nero d’Avola sees little production elsewhere. But in the hands of the right winemaker, Nero can be a beautifully complex wine, as is the case here. On the nose, it is fruit-forward with notes of rhubarb, pepper, tobacco, and nutmeg, which makes this a sultry wine to indulge in. Lively tannins and supple softness blend together to a harmonious whole. An intense wine that shows a little of its age, it drinks like a beautiful layered wine.

2020 Travaglianti Etna Rosato, Italy, Sicily, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

This is a Rose wine from Sicily made from Nero Mascalese grapes.  Pink/orange in color, clear and bright.  Fresh nose with cherries, slight cranberries, char and salinity.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, this has nice lively acidity.  Cherries, cherry juice and char.  Long finish.  This drinks very easily and it is also quite food friendly.  From Salmon to a Steak, this will pair nicely.  Drink over the next two to three years.  

2016 Aeris Wines Etna Bianco Superiore, Italy, Sicily, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

This is Carricante from Sicily but made by California winery owner Kevin Harvery (Rhys).  Light golden in color, some darker gold swirls, clear and bright.  The nose is intriguing with minerality, some char, lemons, almonds and salinity.  Lovely, slightly viscous texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, loads of minerality, some lemons and slight smoke.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own, but would be better with food such as a Lemon Pasta.  Drink over the next ten years.  

Vento di Mare 2021 Grillo

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$11.00USD

Fortunately for all of us Grillo is becoming a more popular wine. Best known in Italy, (there is some belief it originated here, but that is not conclusive) imports to the US are up and that makes for a great new wine to discover if you’re not familiar with wines from the Sicily region of Italy. This wine offers soft lemon-lime resin, lychee, light papaya, with back and supporting notes of stone fruit, melon and mineralogy.

Corvo 2020 Irmana Grillo

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
90
Grade: 
Current Price: 
$12.99USD

A native grape to the island of Sicily, this Grillo is light and delicate, with notes of butterscotch, honeysuckle, guava, white peach, lemon-lime, and a hint of grapefruit and summer wildflowers. Like all good Italian wines there is a proper acidity to work with food, which is always the goal. This is a soft wine with a smooth viscosity and its success is that it doesn’t steal the show but enables food to complement the wine, a balancing act that makes for a terrific dining experience. ORIGIN: Sicily, Italy. ALCOHOL: 12%

2014 Dei Principi di Spadafora Nero d'Avola Selezione Limitata, Italy, Sicily, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$18.00USD

This red is from the island of Sicily,  Ruby/purple in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries and slight black olive notes.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, more black cherry than cherry.  A bit of underlying char.  Moderate finish.  Fully mature at this point.  This will work better with food.  Pork chops or burgers off the grill would do well.  drink over the next few years.  

2020 Vento Di Mare Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane, Italy, Sicily, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$13.00USD

This is a nice Pinot Grigio made from organically grown grapes.  Pale golden in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with citrus, slight apple and a bit of smokiness.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, this is refreshing.  Nice lemons, slight orange and a bit of apples with just a hint of roasted herbs.  Nice finish.   This drinks well on its own and will work well with lighter foods.  A nice match would be grilled fish.  Drink over the next few years.  Well priced!

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